$170 for 2 weeks seems like plenty to me but I might be biased but I also don't know how much of that is spent on meat/dairy.

The kale and potato enchiladas in Veganomicon are very filling, I've had them a couple times. My husband (who has a HUGE appetite) loves them. The recipe doesn't call for cheese, I don't think any recipes in Veganomicon call for cheese. It is basically a very flavorful sauce, potatoes and kale. The sauce and potatoes make the enchiladas very creamy and you don't taste the kale. You could serve beans on the side as well. I found a link to the recipe:http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-kale- ... uce-312736

I personally don't eat cheese substitutes, I prefer do without. We focus mostly on fruits, veggies, legumes (beans, lentils) and whole grains. We will ocassionally mix other things in there like tempeh, tofu and seitain. Like tonight is going to be BBQ tempeh over brown rice and possibly broccoli or kale on the side.

As for Mexican markets, why wouldn't you go into them? You can find chiles, tortillas and possibly fruit that is fairly inexpensive.

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:09 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

Tofulish wrote:

It sounds like you are looking to do two things (1) budget and (2) lose weight.

(1) Budget: You can definitely live cheaply on lentils and beans (dried not from cans)! And get frozen veg so you're not throwing as much out. And do look into the soy issue, because its just not as bad as people like to say.

(2) Have you read Eat to Live? Its a very vegan friendly way to lose weight and there is a lot of emphasis on veggies and beans, not rice, pasta, bread etc. You can see what you need to feel full. You mention eating 4 bowls of pasta if its around - if you serve your food on a bed of greens, then there is no way you won't be sated. There is a portion size thread here that might be useful for you

Good luck to you!

Yes i would like to budget and lose weight. I wont do dried sorry. its a waste of money... I stated before that i tried a few times and it never came out right like how Mexicans do it at there home or restaurants. So i buy black beans in can. My husband hates lentils... i make red lentils from trader joes when and if we ever go which is a hour away or use store brand lentils with veggies and veggie broth. He wont eat it because it has no beef or sausage. *eye roll*.

I believe you. the problem is in my family (my mom, grandparents and fam) are used to making huge batches of Pasta, the sauce, with french bread plus beef... my grandpa now has diabetes. They dont eat just one plate. they cover the whole freaking plate, eat it and get a second. there "salad" is iceberg lettuce, onions, and tomatos lol. As a kid growing up we had Argentine BBQ on weekends with a ton of ribs, different kinds of meats, chickens, sausages etc etc... so im used to eating super fast and big plates. I have a very hard time slowing down and eating. My husband calls me the killer because i can eat a burrito super fast. I never take my time and when i try to, i just cant contain my self. its so hard. I chew fast, swallow fast and then im again biting or getting more food in. I think that is one reason why im fat... I dont allow my self to savor the food and wait in between so my body has a chance to do whatever it has to do! Im going to look for that book thanks

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:11 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

dakini wrote:

A lot of great suggestions here, just wanted to throw in a link to one of my favorite blogs, Fat Free Vegan: http://fatfreevegan.comI know you mentioned you were interested in losing weight, and the FFV blog is amazing resource for healthy, flavorful, fat free recipes. Click on "beans and legumes" in the menu on the left hand side for some great cheap meals that are not reliant on soy products. I assure you, the vegan diet is as cheap as eating gets- dried beans, dried grains, seasonal vegetables, cheap cheap cheap.

THANK YOU! everyone has been so nice and helpful... Every where i go i bashed because people think im making excuses and im not. I dont have the luxury of some stores because im far and everything is expensive so i need to pick and choose what i can and cant buy.

The dried beans thing is a shame but honestly, it may be your source of beans. I pressure cook my beans and a Mexican market probably has fresher dried beans than your standard grocery store. (Sorry to say, Americans aren't too keen on dried beans thus they can sit, and sit and sit in a regular grocery store).

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

Also, a cheap snack to replace chips is popcorn! Buy it in bags for popping on the stove rather than microwaving.And avocado would have more calories than cheese, so I can't understand why you think it wouldn't be as filling? But serve it with a lot of Spanish or other seasoned brown rice and you will get full!

Yeah the problem is popcorn is expensive and i want something that has no salt, no sugar or butter. We really dont have much of a choice. Unless i buy the bagged already poped which is good. its Kettle Corn but its sweet so im sure it has Sugar? I never said Avocado has no calories?? I said Avocados are Expensive and my husband is in love with cheese. he needs it and depends on it. I dont and its frustrating because he wont change to eat healthier.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:18 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

strawberryrock wrote:

I don't think you're going to be able to cut down your costs if you don't learn how to cook dried beans and cut out the meat for your husband. Also I think meal planning is great but you have to be flexible--if a recipe calls for bell peppers, use a different vegetable because bell peppers are ridiculously expensive. Choose a few vegetables for the week (a bag of carrots and a head of cabbage) and use them in all your meals that week.

I cant cut the meat from the grocery list. he makes the money, it is his body... I cant force a grown man to eat the way i want him to eat even though it would be nice. Hes 29 years old not 5..

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:20 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

linanil wrote:

The dried beans thing is a shame but honestly, it may be your source of beans. I pressure cook my beans and a Mexican market probably has fresher dried beans than your standard grocery store. (Sorry to say, Americans aren't too keen on dried beans thus they can sit, and sit and sit in a regular grocery store).

True... I need to go to the Vallarta Market... its a huge mexican market and they have a lot of things the normal american markets dont have. I do speak spanish so i could ask someone when i go how to cook it instead of going on youtube lol.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:21 pm

Dying from Nooch Lung

Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:15 pmPosts: 3245

Aradia88 wrote:

strawberryrock wrote:

I don't think you're going to be able to cut down your costs if you don't learn how to cook dried beans and cut out the meat for your husband. Also I think meal planning is great but you have to be flexible--if a recipe calls for bell peppers, use a different vegetable because bell peppers are ridiculously expensive. Choose a few vegetables for the week (a bag of carrots and a head of cabbage) and use them in all your meals that week.

I cant cut the meat from the grocery list. he makes the money, it is his body... I cant force a grown man to eat the way i want him to eat even though it would be nice. Hes 29 years old not 5..

I wasn't making any judgments about whether it was possible/prudent, just saying that it seems like it might be the only way to make a dramatic change in how much you're spending? But things like cheaper vegetables, more grains and beans, etc might also help a lot.

_________________"No one with hair so soft and glossy could ever be bad at anything." - Tofulish

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:26 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

linanil wrote:

$170 for 2 weeks seems like plenty to me but I might be biased but I also don't know how much of that is spent on meat/dairy.

The kale and potato enchiladas in Veganomicon are very filling, I've had them a couple times. My husband (who has a HUGE appetite) loves them. The recipe doesn't call for cheese, I don't think any recipes in Veganomicon call for cheese. It is basically a very flavorful sauce, potatoes and kale. The sauce and potatoes make the enchiladas very creamy and you don't taste the kale. You could serve beans on the side as well. I found a link to the recipe:http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-kale- ... uce-312736

I personally don't eat cheese substitutes, I prefer do without. We focus mostly on fruits, veggies, legumes (beans, lentils) and whole grains. We will ocassionally mix other things in there like tempeh, tofu and seitain. Like tonight is going to be BBQ tempeh over brown rice and possibly broccoli or kale on the side.

As for Mexican markets, why wouldn't you go into them? You can find chiles, tortillas and possibly fruit that is fairly inexpensive.

$8.00 for like 4lbs or sometimes its cheaper. cheese is like $2.79 a bag. He gets two. he buys 1-2 sodas and buys 1 or 2 redbulls which comes out to $5-6 for two.Thanks for the link. im going to look at that.

The dried beans thing is a shame but honestly, it may be your source of beans. I pressure cook my beans and a Mexican market probably has fresher dried beans than your standard grocery store. (Sorry to say, Americans aren't too keen on dried beans thus they can sit, and sit and sit in a regular grocery store).

True... I need to go to the Vallarta Market... its a huge mexican market and they have a lot of things the normal american markets dont have. I do speak spanish so i could ask someone when i go how to cook it instead of going on youtube lol.

I'd definitely look at Viva Vegan as well. There are some instructions on how to cook beans there and I've seen other people here say they learned from that cookbook. It might help you.

_________________You are all a disgrace to vegans. Go f*ck yourselves, especially linanil.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:28 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

strawberryrock wrote:

Aradia88 wrote:

strawberryrock wrote:

I don't think you're going to be able to cut down your costs if you don't learn how to cook dried beans and cut out the meat for your husband. Also I think meal planning is great but you have to be flexible--if a recipe calls for bell peppers, use a different vegetable because bell peppers are ridiculously expensive. Choose a few vegetables for the week (a bag of carrots and a head of cabbage) and use them in all your meals that week.

I cant cut the meat from the grocery list. he makes the money, it is his body... I cant force a grown man to eat the way i want him to eat even though it would be nice. Hes 29 years old not 5..

I wasn't making any judgments about whether it was possible/prudent, just saying that it seems like it might be the only way to make a dramatic change in how much you're spending? But things like cheaper vegetables, more grains and beans, etc might also help a lot.

Okay. Thanks, i cant cut it out... He doesnt want to be vegan or vegetarian. He says people are meant for meat and he can careless what the Labels say.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:28 pm

Vegan Since Before There Were Vegetables

Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:43 pmPosts: 12891Location: Redmond, WA

It kind of seems like the OP is shutting down most of the suggestions given here. Maybe you can tell us what sort of stuff you like to eat and we could help out with recipes. What are some recipes you've made that you and your family really enjoyed? It sounds like you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to cut things out of your diet, eat only whole foods, stay on a budget and lose weight. Maybe try to prioritize one or two things that are the most necessary (ie budget) and just focus on that.

_________________I am not a troll. I am TELLING YOU THE ******GOD'S TRUTH****** AND YOU JUST DON'T WANT THE HEAR IT DO YOU?

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:28 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

linanil wrote:

Aradia88 wrote:

linanil wrote:

The dried beans thing is a shame but honestly, it may be your source of beans. I pressure cook my beans and a Mexican market probably has fresher dried beans than your standard grocery store. (Sorry to say, Americans aren't too keen on dried beans thus they can sit, and sit and sit in a regular grocery store).

True... I need to go to the Vallarta Market... its a huge mexican market and they have a lot of things the normal american markets dont have. I do speak spanish so i could ask someone when i go how to cook it instead of going on youtube lol.

I'd definitely look at Viva Vegan as well. There are some instructions on how to cook beans there and I've seen other people here say they learned from that cookbook. It might help you.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:35 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

ijustdiedinside wrote:

It kind of seems like the OP is shutting down most of the suggestions given here. Maybe you can tell us what sort of stuff you like to eat and we could help out with recipes. What are some recipes you've made that you and your family really enjoyed? It sounds like you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to cut things out of your diet, eat only whole foods, stay on a budget and lose weight. Maybe try to prioritize one or two things that are the most necessary (ie budget) and just focus on that.

Im not shutting anyone down. I dont want to eat Soy, i dont do tofu or anything like that. I like all kinds of foods but i eat too much because im hungry. I like White rice, Basmati rice, brown basmati rice, Red and brown Quinoa but they dont sell it at the closest market. When we need to go grocery shopping we have to run quick now because he works from 330pm to midnight now mon-fri. We have to wake up super early and hes tired already. the place i like shopping is at Vons because its nicer and i have stuff there i can buy. Brussels Sprouts are expensive at markets but not trader joes. I like bok choy... I make at home Lentil Stew or Soup. I make it with Lentils, curry, a bunch of spices, Potatos or sweet potatos, celery, carrots, Parsley, onions and garlic. i put it over white rice and make a salad on the side. My husband loves Mexican tortilla soup. So i make it but its always so Soupy.. So i have to add cheese to his and sometimes if we have chicken i make it in a different pot and then add it to his. that is the only way he will eat it and it has to be super spicy.When he makes tacos i make something for my self... He likes Baked Sweet potatos with cooked spinach inside, quinoa and salad (spinach raw)

I also make chickpea stew... thats about it really. I can cook, i love to cook. but im limited sometimes. Now that DH works he gets his own lunch in his bag and i have to cook for the kids and i. and its super easy lol. Hes never home for dinner and always gets something different. Yesterday my kids and i had Brown Basmati rice, Lentil stew over the rice and salad. the day before we had Okra with stewed tomatos and white rice and salad. My kids eat chicken sometimes so i made Milanesa (fried chicken with bread crumbs) salad and beans. I didnt eat it. I ate everything except for the chicken

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:37 pm

Wears Pleather Undies

Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:22 pmPosts: 21

linanil wrote:

$170 for 2 weeks seems like plenty to me but I might be biased but I also don't know how much of that is spent on meat/dairy.

The kale and potato enchiladas in Veganomicon are very filling, I've had them a couple times. My husband (who has a HUGE appetite) loves them. The recipe doesn't call for cheese, I don't think any recipes in Veganomicon call for cheese. It is basically a very flavorful sauce, potatoes and kale. The sauce and potatoes make the enchiladas very creamy and you don't taste the kale. You could serve beans on the side as well. I found a link to the recipe:http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-kale- ... uce-312736

I personally don't eat cheese substitutes, I prefer do without. We focus mostly on fruits, veggies, legumes (beans, lentils) and whole grains. We will ocassionally mix other things in there like tempeh, tofu and seitain. Like tonight is going to be BBQ tempeh over brown rice and possibly broccoli or kale on the side.

As for Mexican markets, why wouldn't you go into them? You can find chiles, tortillas and possibly fruit that is fairly inexpensive.

Well i have gone to them. just that there in a bad part of the city. So i get scared lol. I tried making Chili Rellenos the other day but it came out nasty so i threw them away.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:39 pm

***LIES!!!***

Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:10 pmPosts: 4905

Unfortunately because you live in the middle of nowhere it's totally possible that his non-vegan food is more expensive than vegan food would be (particularly produce). Animal agriculture is highly subsidized by the federal government, from subsidizing the corn and soy that goes into animal feed to price supports to bailing them out in bad years, so the price you see at the store isn't the "real" price. That's why he can buy 8 pounds of cow for $5 and you can't buy 8 pounds of beans for that price most places.

I used to feed myself really well on about $20/week. My meals were always simple, but they were good and satisfying and I lost weight along the way. It was all about budgeting, shopping the sales, and using cheap basics to round out meals. My staples were beans, rice, pasta, Asian condiments (soy sauce, sriracha), Mexican condiments (salsa, hot sauce), canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, and whatever cheap fresh produce I could get.

I'll reiterate what has been said before with my own twists:

Do not buy canned beans - they are many times more expensive than dried. Buy dried beans and lentils and cook from scratch. Make sure there are beans in at least two of your meals each day so you're getting enough protein - protein is important, don't ignore it, and it becomes even more important when you eat less. It shouldn't cost you more than a couple dollars to make enough lentil soup to feed your entire family (my lentil soup recipe: 1 onion, 1 T olive oil (or more), 1 T cumin, 1 T oregano, 1 pound of lentils - sautee the onion, add everything else and water to cover, cook 1 hour; with bread or tortillas to dip it would feed 3-4 heartily). I don't know why you would avoid Mexican stores, but that would be the place I would go first for beans, lentils, and rice - they will almost certainly have the cheapest prices and will also likely have a really good variety of things. They're also likely to have cheap bread and tortillas. (If vegan bread is hard to come by where you are, you might want to consider making your own - the "no-knead" varieties require the least amount of work and a lot of them make huge portions so you can make enough for a couple loaves and space the baking out over a few days).

Buy the cheapest produce possible and go toward frozen and canned, because they're still nutritious and won't go bad. Buy potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, and oranges fresh because they have very long shelf lives (and store them all in the fridge to lengthen their shelf lives). Buy bananas and remember that you can freeze ones that have gone black and save them for making banana bread in the future - bananas are usually the cheapest fruit I can find. I spend as much as you do on groceries and only have a toddler who hardly eats at all and I still don't buy red/yellow/orange peppers - they're too expensive, not worth it. If your kids are always hungry, make a half dozen baked potatoes in the beginning of the week and put them at kid eye-level in the fridge. A baked potato and ketchup or salsa is a perfectly healthy snack, is delicious, and is quite filling. It also makes a perfectly acceptable breakfast. *Do not make yourself crazy over country of origin or organic status.* My preference is to buy organic (after reading more about local food issues and the relative energy costs of local farming over importing, I no longer give a crepe about buying local produce), but if I don't have the money, I don't have the money. Non-organic produce will not kill you.

Get yourself and your kids in the habit of eating oatmeal for breakfast. It's cheap and it's healthy. You can put peanut butter in it to make it more nutritious. Chopped apples are also a good addition. Grits are also tasty and relatively nutritious - I cook mine in water and just add maple syrup or jelly for flavor. My alternative cheap breakfasts would be PB&J or baked potatoes (sweet potatoes are better nutritionally than white, but white potatoes are still fine - a great source of potassium and Vitamin C). If your kids are willing to drink soy milk, that would be much better than almond milk for them. Soy milk has more protein, fat, and calories.

Make a meal plan and make the portions realistic. I'm not nursing and I could easily eat a cup of dried rice myself just because I have an appetite (cooked, obviously!) Don't expect to get 4 portions out of a cup of dried rice. If your family is always hungry, make more food.

Stuff your "regular" dishes with more things to make them fuller and more interesting. I am also a fan of Mexican-style cooking (having grown up in southern CA) and when I veganized my family enchiladas they became chockful of: refried beans, whole pinto beans, corn, avocado (if cheap enough), potatoes, rice, etc. If you're hungry, eat more food. But you can only eat more food of course if you are buying cheaply enough to begin with! A baked ziti I'd similarly stuff with extra veggies (any veggie you could saute would work well).

It also sounds like you probably need more fat in your diets. Fat is filling. Generic vegetable oil is loaded with Omega-6's and not a great idea healthwise, but "light" olive oil is usually fairly cheap and it tastes bland enough to go with everything.

Peanut butter. Buy the cheapest kind that doesn't have partially-hydrogenated oils in it. Same with jelly. PB&J is cheap, kids like it, it'll be good for actual meals and for between meal snacks.

And look, lean budgets make us do stuff we wouldn't normally want to do. You can make use of cheap processed food to stretch a buck. Top Ramen Oriental flavor is vegan. Make a bunch of them in one pot, add frozen peas and shredded greens (cabbage would be great), add tofu or edamame for more protein if you've got it = super cheap meal that will feed a crowd. You can get a dinner out of that for less than $5. Another favorite cheap meal for us is white rice, frozen peas, greens (whatever is cheapest) and a sauce made of peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and Asian hot sauce - you could play around with that to get the peanut sauce flavor you like and you can also add coconut milk if it's affordable (another good way to get fat into your kids and fill them up).

Explain to me again why you can't have wheat? I can't praise pasta enough for its cheapness. From a budgeting standpoint, I wouldn't stop buying pasta for your family. If you have an issue with portion sizes, I'd tackle that directly rather than avoiding the trigger food entirely.

I also have dealt with thyroid issues and my doctors had no problem with me continuing to eat plenty of soy. Generally the issue is not eating soy itself, it's increasing/decreasing how much you're eating suddenly. I would not give up any (vegan) foods unless you have confirmation from a medical professional that you have an intolerance or allergy to it. There's no reason to unnecessarily restrict your diet.

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:57 pm

***LIES!!!***

Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:10 pmPosts: 4905

Oh, another thing. I saw above someone mentioned popcorn. Do not buy pre-packaged, pre-portioned popcorn! It is crazy expensive! You are throwing your money away!

If you have a microwave you can make popcorn for pennies. Buy a big bag of popcorn kernels and a package of plain brown lunch bags. Put a quarter cup or less of popcorn in a bag, fold down the top a couple of times, staple once in the middle (a staple is too short to interfere with the microwaves and cause a spark, but you can leave it out if you're nervous), set the microwave for a couple of minutes and listen for popping - take it out when the pops are a couple seconds apart. Open the bag, sprinkle in salt and chili powder and maybe a little oil, shake, and voila!

Post subject: Re: Hi everyone and new here! I need help with Vegan recipes

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:31 am

The Real Hamburger Helper

Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:57 amPosts: 2326Location: Scotland

I live in the middle of nowhere, too (and with no car!), so I know how hard it can be to find a decent, cheap grocery store. Have you looked into buying groceries on-line? You might be able to save a ton of money (and gasoline costs because you won't have to drive) that way. I said earlier $170 a month was totally do-able, but $170 a fortnight gives you a lot more leeway. As far as cooking dried beans goes, chick peas, lentils, and navy beans are a lot easier to cook than, say, red kidney beans.